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Monday November 25, 2024

AI expert predicts job disruption: Which roles are at risk in next 5 years?

Professor Frey suggests jobs like document analysis, telemarketing, and other tasks may face the axe

By Web Desk
January 07, 2024
Professor Carl Frey is an AI expert at the Oxford Internet Institute. — sspeakersassociates.com
Professor Carl Frey is an AI expert at the Oxford Internet Institute. — sspeakersassociates.com

Professor Carl Frey from the Oxford Internet Institute, a leading AI expert, has highlighted jobs most susceptible to automation in the next five years.

With advancements like ChatGPT, capable of human-like writing, concerns arise about the vulnerability of white-collar jobs. 

Jobs at risk

Professor Frey suggests that jobs involving document analysis, telemarketing, and other routine tasks may face the axe as companies explore cost-cutting through technology.

"Jobs which will be lost in the next five years will be freelance roles that usually focus on one specific task," states Professor Frey. This includes translating non-certified documents, telemarketing, cashier roles, repetitive customer service, and basic copy-editing.

The looming prospect of autonomous vehicles also puts driving jobs on the line, with predictions that they will be replaced rather than augmented by self-driving vehicles.

Even for those who manage to retain their jobs, the influx of new competition could lead to lower wages, warns Professor Frey.

Safe jobs

However, he notes that jobs requiring creativity and complex social interactions are less likely to be automated.

Professions like doctors, nurses, sports coaches, and roles with interpersonal communication skills are deemed safer from the impact of artificial intelligence.

Despite advancements in virtual communication, Professor Frey emphasises the enduring value of in-person communication. He notes that while AI can handle certain tasks like writing love letters, it enhances the importance of personal interaction.

The professor points out that AI lacks "true creativity" as it mimics existing data, distinguishing it from genuine human creativity. In fields like translation, basic tasks may be automated, but human translators remain indispensable for the highest-level work.

While acknowledging the transformative power of AI, Professor Frey highlights that predicting timelines for such changes is complex. Factors like legal considerations, consumer preferences, and societal responses to AI play pivotal roles in shaping the future employment landscape. As he concludes, "A different world may await us."